Seniors, our last blog post focused on searching for degree options at potential colleges. This next blog focuses on the benefits of applying to a variety of different types of colleges, including private schools and state universities and community colleges; large and small schools; school close to home and much farther away; and schools that you feel comfortable about being accepted to, and some schools that are more of a stretch.

My first visit to Keuka College, Spring Open House 2008, a kid asked about the size of classes, and when he was told that classes are usually small, so it’s hard to blend in, he responded that he would rather just lay back and go unnoticed. The response was, “Well, then this probably isn’t the school for you.” At the time, I was mainly concerned with whether or not Organizational Communication was right for me, if I so chose to go to Keuka. So when we were talking to majors and professors about the benefits of the major, I was a little thrown off by the turn of conversation. It made me consider something I hadn’t before: I had always been comfortable in a small setting—I always raised my hand and shared my two cents in high school—but what about other people? Furthermore, I had never really considered the implications of attending a much larger school: Would I get the attention I needed? Would the large population make it hard for me to stand out? Would I be comfortable in a lecture hall class?

These are all important questions to ask, and because there are so many different types of colleges you could attend, it is important to consider the benefits and setbacks of each, and to apply to a good variety of these schools to keep your options open.

High school seniors, our last blog discussed tips to help you finish your senior year and begin preparing for college. This time around, our hope is more specifically to help you figure out precisely which colleges to apply to (that’s always the hardest part). One of the most important things that you will need is options. Believe it or not, at least 50% of undergraduates change their majors at least once before graduation (msn.com; psu.edu; purdue.edu). I can attest to that.

So how do these options factor into your college selection? Your potential career should have plenty of flexibility, so any college you choose should have several majors that will fit your needs.

It’s been almost a month of back to school, high school seniors. This article hopes to not only provide you with tips for a good, successful final year, but to also help you prepare for beginning your college career.

Last week I went to the campus “watering hole,” where all the birds of a feather flock together (a.k.a. the Geiser, Keuka’s cafeteria). I spoke with a wide variety of new students including freshmen, a transfer student, and some international students. For those of you who still remain prospective students, hopefully these insights will help illuminate and relieve some of the anxieties you may be having (or will have) about finally starting college.

For Eye on the Storm’s first videoblog* most people were ready to talk before the camera, but some weren’t. Beneath the video you can read other expectations and impressions.

What Students Had to Say; Videoblog #1:

It has been two weeks since the successful conclusion of Transition Week for Keuka College’s class of 2015, and already, from what I have seen, they seem quite at home. Nevertheless, two weeks would barely be proportional to “tip of the iceburg.” What I mean to say by using this cliché is that students who are new to the college setting, or who are just new to Keuka, have only just begun to experience college life at Keuka.

OK, it’s halfway through May. Why can’t it be the end of June already? As college students either wind up the semester (like at Keuka) or begin their summers (like many other college students), high school students still have a month to go, and for seniors, that means one more month till graduation.

Most high schools have their own senior traditions. Furthermore, whether you’re stressing with final papers and exams (and Regents if you live in New York or California), or you may just be whiling away the weeks, days, hours, minutes, yeah… till graduation. Whatever the case may be, we hope you make the best of it. We also hope that all of our posts, tips, humor, packing lists, and advice has helped you out with the next step of your life. But trust me, the last month goes by really fast, so I’ve compiled some ideas to help you go out with a bang (without landing with a bang!).

OK, that time is approaching. The college countdown is on, and it takes a lot to prepare for the start of your freshman year. One of the most important (and exciting things) is choosing (and buying) what to bring. In this article, I not only give you (what I find to be) a more broad, more flexible list than Keuka will send you, or what else you might find on the internet, but I also give you strategies and lessons I have learned so that you might be able to save some money, not come with too little (or too much!), and be able to transport your stuff without too much hassle.

OK, for most high school seniors out there, you have, two months, precisely, till graduation? I think to the day, my younger cousin has just about this amount of time left. While many of you will be taking care of final papers, preparing for final exams (and NY & CA residents, prepping for Regents), preparing some final speeches or research projects, and reading your last couple novels or works of literature for English classes, you might be looking forward to a reprieve from all the work; however, you should not think of your summer holiday as a break from one of the most important things you will participate in during your college years: reading.

True, most people work during the summer. I don’t blame you; I did too. Afterall, it is important to keep your pocket filled, expecially since college is no cheap investment. College is also no light investment; therefore, while you keep the money flowing, you should also keep your intellectual and creative capacity in shape. How? Read. Read whatever interests you, but try to also reach out for something new. Your college professors will more than likely ask you to do the same.

Here I have compiled a list, arranged by topic (with attention to a vatiety of majors and interests in mind), and I hope, that if you don’t consult anything on this list, that you at least pick up a book and finish it (you would be surprised how many first year college students I have heard admit that they have never read a book cover to cover, or have never read a book outside of a class). Happy Reading!

Hey all you high school seniors and (especially) juniors out there! With still two months of school to go (ugh, right?), you may either be reaching the point where you think about colleges you’ve been accepted to and/or have decided to attend, or you may be thinking about different colleges that may be right for you, respectively. I have gathered some of the pros and cons that come along with attending both big and large schools. Whether you’re preparing for college or beginning your search, I hope these tips and observations will help you either be more prepared, or decide which type fits you best.

Students who are seniors in high school and plan on attending college in the fall, now is that time to, according to Keuka’s Financial Aid Office:

Review financial aid awards.

Contact the financial aid office with any questions you may have.

Submit your enrollment deposit to the admissions office.

Attend Summer Orientation/Pre-registration Day.

Apply for various loan programs or installment payment plans.

With that in mind, you might be feeling a little lost, or a bit overwhelmed. If you haven’t already visited Keuka’s Financial Aid Page, then now is the time to do so. I researched some online opportunities for finding outside funding, and I also spoke with Keuka’s financial aid director, Jen Bates. Here is what I found:

Meet the Blogger

Erica Ruscio, class of '13, is double majoring in visual & verbal art and English with a concentration in creative writing and is minoring in communication studies.

Why an admissions blog?

⇒ To serve as a resource to help high school and transfer students through the admissions process.⇒ To share information with and increase interest of prospective students in Keuka College.⇒ To share with students what college life is really all about (to help them make decisions about what higher education community is best for them).⇒ And to provide information to prospective students from a peer, or a prospective peer's, point of view.